German Potato Pancakes

"An authentic European recipe for potato pancakes straight from Grandma!"






What to Drink? Pinot Gris, Cuppa Joe Martini or Coffee

Prep Time: 30 Min

Cook Time: 20 Min

Ready In: 50 Min

Original Recipe Yield 10 servings

Ingredients

10 russet potatoes, peeled and shredded
1 carrot, peeled and shredded
1 onion, finely diced
5 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon chopped flat leaf parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups dry bread crumbs
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil for frying, as needed

Directions

1.Mix potatoes, carrot, onion, garlic, parsley, and dill in a large bowl. Stir in lemon juice, 1/4 cup of olive oil, flour, bread crumbs, salt, and pepper. Knead just until mixture holds together.

2.Heat the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, drop spoonfuls of potato mixture in hot oil. Cook approximately 4 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Serve hot.

German Potato Salad

"This is my mother's recipe. Everyone, German or not, loves it. It is easy to double the recipe as well. I often bring it to potlucks, and we also have it at home on special occasions. There are usually no leftovers, but if there are, they don't last long!"




Prep Time: 30 Min

Cook Time: 20 Min

Ready In: 50 Min

Original Recipe Yield 4 servings

Ingredients

3 cups diced peeled potatoes
4 slices bacon
1 small onion, diced
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1.Place the potatoes into a pot, and fill with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook for about 10 minutes, or until easily pierced with a fork. Drain, and set aside to cool.

2.Place the bacon in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Fry until browned and crisp, turning as needed. Remove from the pan and set aside.

3.Add onion to the bacon grease, and cook over medium heat until browned. Add the vinegar, water, sugar, salt and pepper to the pan. Bring to a boil, then add the potatoes and parsley. Crumble in half of the bacon. Heat through, then transfer to a serving dish. Crumble the remaining bacon over the top, and serve warm.

German Farmer's Bread (Bauernbrot)

"Here is a great recipe for authentic German Sourdough Bread. This bread tastes almost exactly like the bread we buy back home in Bavaria, Germany. There, to this day, they bake their bread in a very old stone oven in the middle of a small village, once every 2 weeks. They bake a whole bunch at once, and then you can buy it and freeze extras until the next baking day. It's the best German bread I know!"

Prep Time: 3 Hrs

Cook Time: 2 Hrs

Ready In: 2 Days 5 Hrs

Original Recipe Yield 1 large loaf

Ingredients

1 1/2 ounces compressed fresh yeast
1 quart warm water
2 tablespoons white sugar
4 cups all-purpose flour

8 cups white rye flour
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon white sugar
2 cups warm water

Directions

1.First, make the sourdough starter. Crumble the yeast into a large bowl. Whisk in 1 quart of warm water and 2 tablespoons of sugar until dissolved. The water should be just slightly warmer than body temperature. Gradually whisk in 4 cups of flour, continuing to mix until all lumps are gone. Cover with a dish towel, and let sit for 24 hours at room temperature.

2.After 24 hours, stir well, cover, and let stand another 24 hours. It will be a thin, light-colored sourdough which is then ready to use.

3.In a large bowl, stir together the rye flour, 4 cups of all-purpose flour, salt and sugar. Mix in the sourdough starter using a wooden spoon, then stir in 2 cups of warm water. I transfer the dough to a heavy duty stand mixer to mix the first couple of minutes, then it can't handle the heavy dough and I start using my hands by turning the dough out onto a floured surface. A clean countertop works best. Knead the dough, adding a few tablespoons of water at a time if it is too stiff. Fold the dough over, pull it apart, whatever you can do to get it kneaded up good. Total kneading time should be 15 to 20 minutes to get a smooth dough. Place the dough in a large bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled, 1 to 2 hours.

4.When the dough has risen, scrape it out of the bowl and back onto a floured surface. Knead for about 5 minutes. This is important to activate the gluten. Shape into 1 or 2 long loaves. Place on baking sheets, and let rise for about 1 hour, or until your finger leaves an impression when you poke the bread gently.

5.Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Bake the bread for about 45 minutes for 2 loaves, 1 1/2 hours if you made one big loaf. Don't worry if the crust is dark. The bread will be delicious and so will the crust. Cool completely before cutting. I always freeze half.
Footnotes

If you want to make extra starter for the next time, simply add 2 cups of all-purpose flour and 2 cups water to the sourdough starter on the second day, and whisk smooth. Then let stand at room temperature for 24 hours before next use. Use half, and save the other half for the next time. Let stand for 24 hours, stirring once before using. If freezing, use within 2 weeks. Humidity and heat play a big role in making this bread. It may not work well if it is to humid and hot outside. In this case I recommend that you make the bread starting at 5am.